On behalf of the IBM New Zealand team, I want to extend my warmest
congratulations to all the winners and finalists in the 2007 IBM Business
Partner Awards.
After an extremely difficult time with the judging last year, I didn't think it
could possibly get any harder this year. But was I wrong! The calibre of
this year's entries was once again outstanding, making the job of the
judging panel a tough one indeed. There is no doubt that the New
Zealand IT reseller community is positively brimming with highly talented
people who are committed to delivering business excellence, innovative
solutions and client satisfaction.
This year's entries clearly demonstrate how the industry has evolved from
providing point product solutions, to focusing on and delivering complex,
innovative and fully integrated solutions that deliver true business value
to the client. IT is a key enabler of business success today, and the
reseller community has recognised and embraced this, showing an
extraordinary level of commitment to helping their clients realise the full
business benefits that technology can deliver. These deep partnerships
between clients and resellers, with everyone committed to the same end
goal, ensure success for both the reseller and the client — and contribute
directly to growth in the business and technology sectors in New Zealand.
The IBM Business Partners Awards are about recognising and rewarding the
outstanding local IT companies that are delivering truly innovative
solutions to New Zealand businesses, solutions that are giving these
businesses an edge in the highly competitive local and global marketplaces.
Through the awards, we seek out and reward the resellers that are
delivering truly outstanding solutions to their clients. Our goal is to
ensure they get the recognition they deserve for their excellent work.
And the recognition does not stop with these awards. The winners also have
the opportunity to enter IBM's global business partner awards — The Beacon
Awards — which will be given out at IBM's annual PartnerWorld event in Los
Angeles in April 2008.
Like our Business Partners, IBM is committed to delivering innovative
solutions that help our clients succeed, and to helping the IT industry in
New Zealand to grow — but we can't do this on our own. Our Business
Partners are a fundamental part of the equation and we are proud work with
more than 1500 partners in New Zealand. They offer us outstanding skills
and experience and help us extend our reach in the New Zealand market; and
we offer them a wide range of programmes and support to help fast-track
their business growth strategies and contribute to their success. It's a
privilege to do business with all of them.
IBM New Zealand would like to thank everyone who entered the 2007 IBM
Business Partner Awards. We appreciate that it takes time to do this, but
trust that you agree it is very important to celebrate local success
stories. It has been exciting to once again see so many organisations
provide us with examples of the great work they are doing with their
clients. As I said before, the calibre of all of the finalists made
judging the winners a very tough job, but as you will see the winning
organisations are indeed the cream of the crop.
IBM is proud to work so closely with IT resellers in New Zealand. We thank
you and your clients for your continued support and look forward to working
with you to make 2008 another successful year.
Katrina Troughton
Managing Director
IBM NZ
